Stability measures for children looked after in England
Data guidance
Published
Description
This document describes the data included in the underlying data files of the ‘Stability Measures for Children Looked After in England: 2024’ Official Statistics in Development release. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government Guidance (opens in a new tab) and is intended to meet at least three stars for Open Data (opens in a new tab).
The methodology document for this subject should be referenced alongside this release. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality and how the data is produced.
Coverage
This data is based upon information collected in the SSDA903 (CLA) data collection and, for school stability only, the pupil level school census.
Information on the coverage of the SSDA903 collection can be found in the data guidance for the ‘Children looked after in England’ publication.
The school census collects information on pupils attending state-funded schools in England each term.
The longitudinal nature of the SSDA903 collection means historical information can be amended each year, so we update all time series figures published in each release. Numbers and percentages are based on children looked after on 31 March each year and exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements.
File formats and conventions
Rounding and suppression
National and regional figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Local authority figures are unrounded.
Where any number is shown as zero, the original figure submitted was zero.
The following symbols have been used in the release:
‘c’ to protect confidentiality. Secondary suppression may have been applied
‘z’ for not applicable
‘x’ for not available
‘k’ used for a value that would round to zero but is not zero, for example where a percentage is <0.5%
For percentages:
where the numerator or denominator is small then the figure is replaced by ‘c’
they may not sum to 100% due to rounding
they are rounded to whole numbers
Data files
All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.
Placement stability by characteristics
Filename
national_cla_pl_count_by_characteristics.csv
Geographic levels
National
Time period
2020 to 2024
Content
Number of placements during the year and previous 2 years (placement stability) for CLA on 31 March by gender, age, ethnicity, first legal status and placement during the year/previous 2 years, UASC/non-UASC.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
characteristic
Characteristic
cla_group
CLA group
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
placement_stability
Number of placements
Footnotes
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication. However, users looking for a longer time series may wish to check for the equivalent table which can be found in earlier releases of the publication 'Children Looked After in England including Adoptions'. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Includes children looked after on 31 March each year who also spent at least one day in care in the previous year ending 31 March.
First placement and legal status during the year, excluding a small number of children for whom placement on 31 March of the relevant year and corresponding legal status has been used instead. See methodology document for further information.
First placement and legal status during the previous 2 years, excluding a small number of children for whom placement on 31 March of the relevant year and corresponding legal status has been used instead. See methodology document for further information.
Youth Justice legal statuses' refers to children: remanded to LA accommodation or youth detention accommodation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; placed in LA accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; or, sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order with residence or intensive fostering requirement under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (as amended).
CLA aged under 16 on 31 March who had been looked after continuously for at least 2.5 years and who were living with the same carer for at least 2 years, by gender, age, ethnicity, legal status (on 31 March), placement (on 31 March), UASC/non-UASC.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
characteristic
Characteristic
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
placement_stability
Number of placements
Footnotes
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication. However, users looking for a longer time series may wish to check for the equivalent table which can be found in earlier releases of the publication 'Children Looked After in England including Adoptions'. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Includes children looked after continuously for at least 2.5 years, aged under 16. Children living with the same carer for at least two years is defined as children living with the same carer for at least two years or if they have been placed for adoption, their adoptive placement and their previous carer combined last for at least two years. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements.
A child is included as having been a. in care for at least 2.5 years if their period of care start date was on or before the 30 September of the relevant year and b. with the same carer for at least 2 years if their episode start date for the relevant placement was on or before the 31 March of the relevant year.
Youth Justice legal statuses' refers to children: remanded to LA accommodation or youth detention accommodation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; placed in LA accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; or, sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order with residence or intensive fostering requirement under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (as amended).
LA level data for CLA on 31 March:
*with three of more placements during the year/previous 2 years
*aged under 16 looked after continuously for at least 2.5 years and living with the same carer for at least 2 years.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
placement_stability
Number of placements
Footnotes
National and regional numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication. However, users looking for a longer time series may wish to check for the equivalent table which can be found in earlier releases of the publication 'Children Looked After in England including Adoptions'. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Includes children looked after on 31 March each year who also spent at least one day in care in the previous year ending 31 March.
Includes children looked after continuously for at least 2.5 years, aged under 16. Children living with the same carer for at least two years is defined as children living with the same carer for at least two years or if they have been placed for adoption, their adoptive placement and their previous carer combined last for at least two years. Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short-term placements.
A child is included as having been a. in care for at least 2.5 years if their period of care start date was on or before the 30 September of the relevant year and b. with the same carer for at least 2 years if their episode start date for the relevant placement was on or before the 31 March of the relevant year.
Number of school moves during the year and previous 2 years (school stability) for CLA on 31 March by gender, age, ethnicity, first legal status and placement during the year/previous 2 years, school phase, SEN provision, type of need, UASC/non-UASC.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
characteristic
Characteristic
cla_group
CLA group
move_measure
Move Measure
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
school_stability
Number of school moves
Footnotes
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication. However, users looking for a longer time series may wish to check for the equivalent table which can be found in earlier releases of the publication 'Children Looked After in England including Adoptions'. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Includes children looked after on 31 March each year who are of school age and have been matched to the school census. See methodology document for further information.
Includes children looked after on 31 March each year who also spent at least one day in care in the previous year ending 31 March, who are of school age and have been matched to the school census. See methodology document for further information.
'Any moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April and 31 March, excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the year.
'Mid-year moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April and 31 March, excluding the period 1 August to 30 September, and excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the year.
'Any moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April of the previous year ending 31 March and 31 March of the relevant year, excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the previous 2 years.
'Mid-year moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April of the previous year ending 31 March and 31 March of the relevant year, excluding the period 1 August to 30 September of both years, and excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the previous 2 years.
The summer census in 2020 was not carried out due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore it has not been possible to produce data for 2020, and 2021 data excludes children aged 15 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year.
The summer census in 2020 was not carried out due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore it has not been possible to produce data for 2020, 2022 data excludes children aged 15 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year, and 2021 data excludes children aged 14 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year.
Excludes expected transitions from one school phase to another, for example primary school to secondary school at age 11.
First placement and legal status during the year, excluding a small number of children for whom placement on 31 March of the relevant year and corresponding legal status has been used instead. See methodology document for further information.
First placement and legal status during the previous 2 years, excluding a small number of children for whom placement on 31 March of the relevant year and corresponding legal status has been used instead. See methodology document for further information.
Youth Justice legal statuses' refers to children: remanded to LA accommodation or youth detention accommodation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; placed in LA accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; or, sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order with residence or intensive fostering requirement under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (as amended).
EHC plans also includes statements of SEN. Statements were phased out from 2014 to 2018.
Number of school moves during the year and previous two years (school stability) for CLA on 31 March at local authority level.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
cla_group
CLA group
move_measure
Move Measure
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
school_stability
Number of school moves
Footnotes
National and regional numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Historical data may differ from older publications which is mainly due to amendments made by local authorities after the previous publication. However, users looking for a longer time series may wish to check for the equivalent table which can be found in earlier releases of the publication 'Children Looked After in England including Adoptions'. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Includes children looked after on 31 March each year who are of school age and have been matched to the school census. See methodology document for further information.
Includes children looked after on 31 March each year who also spent at least one day in care in the previous year ending 31 March, who are of school age and have been matched to the school census. See methodology document for further information.
'Any moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April and 31 March, excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the year.
'Mid-year moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April and 31 March, excluding the period 1 August to 30 September, and excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the year.
'Any moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April of the previous year ending 31 March and 31 March of the relevant year, excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the previous 2 years.
'Mid-year moves' is the number of times a child moves school (or from no school to a school) between 1 April of the previous year ending 31 March and 31 March of the relevant year, excluding the period 1 August to 30 September of both years, and excluding any moves prior to the date on which the child first entered care during the previous 2 years.
The summer census in 2020 was not carried out due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore it has not been possible to produce data for 2020, and 2021 data excludes children aged 15 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year.
The summer census in 2020 was not carried out due to the coronavirus pandemic. Therefore it has not been possible to produce data for 2020, 2022 data excludes children aged 15 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year, and 2021 data excludes children aged 14 at the beginning of the 2019/20 academic year.
Excludes expected transitions from one school phase to another, for example primary school to secondary school at age 11.
Figures exclude Barnet who did not complete a social worker data return and one child from Darlington with missing social worker episodes for the correct period.
Number of social workers during the year (social worker stability) for CLA on 31 March by gender, age, ethnicity, first legal status and placement during the year, UASC/non-UASC.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
characteristic
Characteristic
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
sw_stability
Number of social workers
Footnotes
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Social workers are only counted once for each child during the year. For example, if a child had a social worker, moved to a different social worker, then back to the original social worker during the course of the year, then this would count as 2 social workers during the year.
Figures exclude Barnet who did not complete a social worker data return and one child from Darlington with missing social worker episodes for the correct period.
First placement and legal status during the year, excluding a small number of children for whom placement on 31 March of the relevant year and corresponding legal status has been used instead. See methodology document for further information.
Youth Justice legal statuses' refers to children: remanded to LA accommodation or youth detention accommodation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; placed in LA accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; or, sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order with residence or intensive fostering requirement under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (as amended).
Reason for each social worker change during the year, including the change to the social worker already assigned to a child at the beginning of the year (1 April) if relevant.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
sw_episode_reason
Reason for social worker change
Footnotes
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures exclude reasons for new social workers for children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Figures exclude Barnet who did not complete a social worker data return and one child from Darlington with missing social worker episodes for the correct period.
A number of local authorities reported issues with providing the reason a child was assigned a new social worker. Where local authorities were unable to provide the reason a child was assigned a new social worker, these are generally included within the 'Other reason' category. Further details can be found in the methodology document.
Includes reason for each social worker change during the year, including the change to the social worker already assigned to a child at the beginning of the year (1 April) if relevant.
Number of social workers during the year (social worker stability) for CLA on 31 March at local authority level.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
sw_stability
Number of social workers
Footnotes
National and regional numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Social workers are only counted once for each child during the year. For example, if a child had a social worker, moved to a different social worker, then back to the original social worker during the course of the year, then this would count as 2 social workers during the year.
Figures exclude Barnet who did not complete a social worker data return and one child from Darlington with missing social worker episodes for the correct period.
Combined stability in all three measures (placement stability, school stability and social worker stability) for CLA on 31 March by gender, age, ethnicity, first legal status and placement during the year, UASC/non-UASC.
Variable names and descriptions
Variable names and descriptions for this file are provided below:
Variable name
Variable description
characteristic
Characteristic
combined_stability
Number of measures with high instability
number
Number
percentage
Percentage
Footnotes
Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. Percentages rounded to the nearest whole number. Figures exclude children looked after under a series of short-term placements.
Only includes children who are in all three of the placement, school and social stability cohorts.
Figures exclude Barnet who did not complete a social worker data return and one child from Darlington with missing social worker episodes for the correct period.
First placement and legal status during the year, excluding a small number of children for whom placement on 31 March of the relevant year and corresponding legal status has been used instead. See methodology document for further information.
Youth Justice legal statuses' refers to children: remanded to LA accommodation or youth detention accommodation under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012; placed in LA accommodation under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984; or, sentenced to a youth rehabilitation order with residence or intensive fostering requirement under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (as amended).